Now that the Jefferson Performing Arts Society has the money it wants to get through the 2012-13 season, the question is whether this will be the nonprofit group's swan song. Or whether the 35-year-old society has a long-term future.

Susan Poag, The Times-Picayune"Cinderella" Claire Dinwiddie sings with the cast of mice during dress rehearsal Tuesday, in March for the JPAS Theatre Kids! performance of "Disney's Cinderella Kids!'' at the Westwego Performing Arts Theatre. JPAS has received $325,000 from the Parish Council to help the society get through its current season.

Arts society officials said Gov. Bobby Jindal's decision to veto an auto rental tax that had helped to finance the organization for almost 20 years left a hole in its budget. They turned to the Parish Council for help.

"They saved our necks," said Dennis Assaf, the society's executive and artistic director. "It bought us a one-year reprieve. We're not out of the woods yet."

Parish President John Young said he made it clear that Jefferson can't afford to make the arts society's subsidy an annual event.

"I specifically told Dennis and the board that we can do this one time only," Young said.

Assaf said the the loss of the auto rental tax was compounded by loss of a $400,000 state grant that was not renewed a year ago. As many as three productions may be scaled back or even canceled this year, with some potential cuts in staff, Assaf said.

Now, arts society board members and supporters will spend the year trying to figure out how to change Jindal's mind on the auto rental tax, Assaf said.

"We do very well with ticket sales. We do very well with corporate sponsors and fund-raisers," Assaf said. "In this business, it really does take extra support to put on quality cultural programming. We need that auto rental tax."

State Rep. Tony Ligi, R-Kenner, who sponsored the bill to send some of the parish's auto rental tax revenue to the arts society, said administration officials told him the governor would have no problem with the tax if voters approved it in a local referendum.

"We're going to spend the next year working very closely with the Legislature to come up with a way to retain that auto rental tax," Assaf said. "It's that important to the existence of our organization."

Meanwhile, he said, the money from the Parish Council gives his organization some hope.

"I really feel quite touched that they recognized the work of this organization for 35 years and basically said: 'We're not going to let them go under.' It really charged my batteries to work harder for Jefferson Parish. They won't regret it."